The BMW Group and the Chilean copper mining company Codelco have
signed an agreement to cooperate on a sustainable and transparent
supply of copper. From the mining of the metal to installation in the
automobile, Codelco and the BMW Group will form the start and end
point in the copper supply chain and thus create the preconditions for
new standards in sustainable copper processing.
“Copper is and remains a very important raw material in the
automotive industry. Therefore, we are very pleased to have the
opportunity together with Codelco to be able to advocate sustainable
standards in the copper supply chain. From the BMW Group’s viewpoint,
this is a further significant milestone in our strategy for
sustainability in the supply chain,” says Thomas Thym, head of BMW
Group Strategy, Purchasing and Supplier Network.
“We appreciate the importance of working together with BMW
Group’s value chain and believe that this agreement will be a powerful
driver for Codelco and the mining industry to continue to strengthen
our social license to operate. It is an inspiration to advance towards
a future in which our products will be valued not only for their
intrinsic mineral qualities, but also for a production process that
promotes environmental protection, gender equality, the generation of
shared value, ethical business practices, transparency, fairness and
local job creation, among others”, says Patricio Chávez, Codelco Vice
President of Corporate Affairs Sustainability.
The aim of the Responsible Copper Initiative is to achieve a
commitment to ecological and social responsibility in the copper
industry. Further objectives of the cooperation are the development of
core indicators, which measure advancements in sustainability
activities, as well as a productive collaboration with stakeholders –
including NGOs and regulating authorities. In this way, faith in our
copper products is to be strengthened.
In the agreement, Codelco confirms its leadership in the introduction
of the Responsible Copper Initiative according to ISEAL guidelines.
This includes the promotion and coordination of the global copper
industry (from mining to manufacture and processing) as well as other
stakeholders such as associations, NGOs, producers and end users in
the Responsible Copper Initiative. Within the framework of the
Responsible Copper Initiative, Codelco will ensure that the developed
standards and tools meet the demands of end users and the BMW Group.
In 2017, the BMW Group purchased 42,000 tons of copper with a value
of more than 200 million Euros. As one of the world’s leading
manufacturers of electric vehicles the BMW Group will be offering 25
electrified models in 2025. The company’s copper demand will have
increased by 20,000 additional tons by this time. This shows that
copper will play an even greater role in the future. Therefore, it is
of crucial importance that the BMW Group secure a sustainable supply
chain for electric mobility, including raw materials.
For the BMW Group, the establishment of the “Responsible Copper
Initiative” is a further step towards transparency in the supply
chain: The BMW Group is a founding member of the Aluminium Stewardship
Initiative, supporter of the Responsible Steel Initiative and a member
of the Responsible Cobalt Initiative.